Blood in the Garage

Gentle, patient, tolerant me came very close to turning over the tables in a car showroom yesterday.

I had booked my car in for a half day job. The receptionist who booked it in for me told me I could have it by 1000 if I wanted. I had to tell her that I had been told the work couldn't be done until the engine cooled but, knowing I needed to be in Nailsea at 1.00 p.m., I asked for it to be ready by 1230. This helpful assistant said she would put 1200 on the form to be on the safe side.

On dropping the car off I said I would be going out to the shops (more on this later) and would be back at 1130. I gave my mobile number so I could be called should the car be ready earlier than 1130 and I wasn't in the waiting room, sorry I mean customer lounge.

At 1210 I enquired about progress and was told 10 minutes.

At 1225 I enquired about progress and was told the car was just coming round.

At 1235 I said I knew miracles were not possible but could I have truth. One of the reception staff went down to the workshop and had a chat and then brought my car round to the front door personally.

I left at 1245 and was late for my appointment with some people, one of whom had come from Edinburgh on the train because the plane had been cancelled due to a volcano and still managed to be punctual.

I hate being late. German engineering great; Bristol efficiency dodgy.

If you ever have to wait in Bristol Audi take a jumper. The aircon is very cold.

On Time?

So, here's the thing. How do you feel about punctuality?

I have never been to Africa but my friend, who regularly visits Nairobi, describes the church in the slum village he attends. The time of the service is 'Sunday morning.' Everyone knows that. The first person to arrive tidies round a bit and chases out any dangerous critters. The second person joins the first in singing. Over the next four hours people come and go until all have left. In the middle of this are notices, children's groups, fervent prayers, amazing singing and a long, long sermon plus a few other talks.

I love the idea. I could live with this. It is a concept that has no word for 'late.' Just as in the silent carriages of a train you get annoyed by voices that wouldn't otherwise have bothered you, only in a country with a concept of a starting time do we find lateness a problem. Or do we?

Clearly not all do. A colleague of mine was recently 20 minutes late for a meeting and then left 50 minutes early. It was a two hour meeting. Missed 58% of it. Not apparently bothered.

My church has a strange start time. It's 1015. I asked about this and was told it was moved because at 1000 everyone was always five minutes late. Guess what? Lots of people are still five minutes late. We could chase the start time to tomorrow morning and it would make no difference.

Although I penalise the late not the punctual, so I try to start things on time, there are a number of meetings here where there are simply not enough people present at the advertised start time to begin. Or the point of a discussion has to be explained several times in the first ten minutes.

If someone important to events or meetings is regularly late they steal time off those who were ready on time. The laid-back are cool about being late; the punctual become stressed. Should I become more laid back? I thought I was but constant late starts and constant over-runnings to compensate are taking their toll. Should I become more ruthless? Should I move to Africa?

I'm not sure I want answers, I am allergic to critters, but I feel better having got that out. Good morning.